Cow Defender

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Summary

A remix of space invaders and centipede coded using Python. I sought to take what I liked about both of these games and improve upon them.

Goals

This was an open-ended assignment: create a game using Python and PyGames using the whole of the Python programming skills gained over the course of the semester.

Process

Playtesting early and often here was key. This was a first foray into systems design, as all of the components, including saucer speed and behavior, number of lives, and how the player dies, changed drastically over time. Some features came into being because the game was too easy (such as the saucers’ movement being randomized, and dropping the green shots onto the player).

Takeaways & Retrospective

Strengths

(+) Playtesting early and often here was key.

(+) This was a first foray into systems design, as all of the components, including saucer speed and behavior, number of lives, and how the player dies, changed drastically over time and improved.

(+) Some features came into being because the game was too easy (such as the saucers’ movement being randomized, and dropping the green shots onto the player).

(-) This game's biggest downfall is that I didn't use enough "tissue testers"--people who hadn't played the game before! Because of this, the game ended up being calibrated to a far too difficult level, as I tested only with myself and friends who were familiar with the game's mechanics. It was a good reminder to always test with a variety of people if the audience is similarly varied.

OutcomeThis project received an A in an undergraduate Introduction to Programming course at Indiana University.